The Universe is Hungry

The Brooklyn-based trio Damn Tall Buildings has crafted a deep roots sound that, while tight, has enough rough edges to keep the music fresh, honest, and relatable. The band uses the soulful grooves of bluegrass and roots music to sing about the search for where we’re going, who we are, leaving home and coming home, whether that home is the mountains and valleys of Appalachia or the concrete canyons of New York. 

The band is thoroughly modern and at the same time deeply informed by tradition. The title track features a delightful sing-along chorus with the line “The universe is eating us alive,” which fits perfectly in the legacy of Woody Guthrie or the Carter Family.

Production on the album is credited to the band as a whole, and a special hats off is due to the trio, as they have allowed the music to breathe and kept the natural dynamics intact. There’s a lot of current bluegrass, Americana, and roots music that seems like it’s trying to compete with top 40 pop, that’s a trap Damn Tall Buildings have avoided nicely. The band covers a lot of sonic territory, from a sleepy and soulful take on “Blue Bayou” to a bit of Middle Eastern-infused acoustic fiddle-funk on “Legese Abdi.” Damn Tall Buildings is making damn fine music, and this record is a fine example.